This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English

Mesdames, Messieurs,

English translation: Dear shareholders,

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Mesdames, Messieurs,
English translation:Dear shareholders,
Entered by: Yolanda Broad

08:19 Apr 3, 2003
French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial / in a company's annual report
French term or phrase: Mesdames, Messieurs,
It comes at the beginning of a message from the Board of Directors in an annual report:

***Mesdames, Messieurs,*** (Message Président-Rapport Annuel - Ver 2)

2002 a été une année difficile pour XXX dans un marché informatique en crise grave après l'éphémère reprise de 2001...."

Dear Sirs" sounds politically incorrect. "Ladies and Gentlement" doesn't sound right either. Any suggestions?
A. Deb
Spain
Local time: 12:47
Dear shareholders,
Explanation:
dear financial analysts,
dear employees,
?
Selected response from:

ntouzet (X)
Local time: 12:47
Grading comment
It was a difficult choice, but I think this is probably the best option. Thanks everyone.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4Dear shareholders,
ntouzet (X)
4 +4Dear shareholders ?if it is written, if spoken, Ladies and gentlemen
cjohnstone
5 +2dear collegues / dear associates / dear partners
Viktoria Gimbe
4 +1Mesdames, messieurs
Lynn Everson
5Ladies and gentlemen
VBaby
4honourable members
Francis MARC
3Sir/Madam
Jonathan MacKerron


  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Dear shareholders,


Explanation:
dear financial analysts,
dear employees,
?

ntouzet (X)
Local time: 12:47
PRO pts in pair: 259
Grading comment
It was a difficult choice, but I think this is probably the best option. Thanks everyone.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cjohnstone
23 mins
  -> merci
agree  Gillian Hargreaves (X)
54 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Sarah Ponting
2 hrs
  -> merci
agree  Sara Freitas: Yes, if you feel comfortable making a little bit of a leap (but I guess annual reports are by their nature meant for shareholders, aren't they?)
3 hrs
  -> I think this refers to the letter written by the BoD on page 1 of the report
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Dear shareholders ?if it is written, if spoken, Ladies and gentlemen


Explanation:
NA

cjohnstone
France
Local time: 12:47
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1632

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sarah Walls
8 mins
agree  Joanne Panteleon
9 mins
agree  Mirelluk
19 mins
agree  danyce
32 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
honourable members


Explanation:
solution possible donnée dans Termium pour tourner la difficulté :

Domaine(s)
  – Parliamentary Language
Domaine(s)
  – Vocabulaire parlementaire
 
honourable
members Source
CORRECT, PLUR

mesdames et
messieurs les
députés So



Francis MARC
Lithuania
Local time: 13:47
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 6500
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Mesdames, messieurs


Explanation:
Personally, I wouldn't put anything there. I would just start with "2002 has been a difficult year..." (or "2002 was a difficult year...").

Lynn Everson
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sara Freitas: I would leave it out altogether if you don't know enough to be able to put "dear shareholders"
3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Sir/Madam


Explanation:
strictly speaking...

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 963
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
dear collegues / dear associates / dear partners


Explanation:
They're all words that convey the message "we're all in this business together" and it puts mesdames, messieurs at the same level as the president.

It still depends a lot on the context. "Shareholder" sounds great but they might or might not be shareholders in this case. Maybe more context...?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-04-03 09:00:03 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Before you all tell me, I meant \"colleague\". Sorry, typo!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-04-03 09:33:20 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

By the way, these also eliminate the gender issue ;)

Viktoria Gimbe
Canada
Local time: 06:47
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 71

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sam D (X)
8 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree  truptee: I'd choose "associates"
56 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Ladies and gentlemen


Explanation:
Ladies and gentlemen is perfectly appropriate. There are almost a thousand references on Google of shareholders being addressed as "ladies and gentlemen" at annual meetings, and I've attended quite a few of those myself over the years!



    Reference: http://www.google.com/search?q=%22ladies+and+gentlemen%22+%2...
VBaby
Local time: 11:47
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 401
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search